Project 2 Final

 

My draft for Project 2 is one of the worst drafts I’ve ever done. I wouldn’t even call it a draft. My first stab at Project 2 is more like a somewhat concentrated stream on consciousness, emphasis on somewhat. I can’t remember the last time I’ve struggled this much with a writing assignment. I did however gain some insight as to why I might code switch, during my internal dialogue. I’m worried most about structuring these ideas.

The methodology portion wasn’t that difficult to be. I reffered back to my daily planner to see the time frames I scheduled each activity knowing there was is difference in my langugae based on what I’m trying to solve.

Gee says “using language we must say or write the right thing in the right way while playing the right social role and (appearing) to hold the right values, beliefs, and attitudes.” In Gees essay Literacy Discourse and Linguistics we are forced to look at language from a different perspective.

This experiment has forced me to recognize the majority of conversations I have are within my own head and try to understand analyze the nature of these “conversations.”

Learning is extremely context based

The majority of my time is spent actively learning. In order to do this

I’ve also found that when focused although my body may be present what most would recognize as the “self” couldn’t be any farther. This intense focus and an innate passion for abstraction are why I believe I adopt these languages.

As I said before learning is extremely context based. The purpose is what drives these different languages. When I’m faced with a difficult task I try to understand it from the perspective of someone who’s already mastered it.

In order to do this, I need to create context. I do this in two ways, by learning the basic level of knowledge just under what it is I’m actually trying to learn. By trying to understand how people who’ve excelled at I’m tackling think and making adjustments to own way for processing.

I think this is my way of tricking myself into believing I’m a full member of a discourse. This is comforting and makes attacking my goals much less intimidating.

It is much scary to think about advanced calculus as a college student trying to understand advanced calculus as opposed to a mathematician who has a problem to solve. This context also gives me more of a reason to invest in my learning. Obstacles now become problems that test my intellectual ability as opposed to arbitrary hurdles that don’t really matter in the greater scheme of things

I find purpose in learning by relating the subject to personal goals. If I can’t relate it to a specific personal goal that in goals in the category I’ve classified as “cognitive excise” these activities or problems don’t have any correlation to actual goals but I see them as a way to strengthen my ability to think in an abstract way and process information.

I create this language to turn myself into the type of person able to attack these problems. Much like people adopt discourses to convince others they belong.

These different “internal discourses” are also fine-tuned through apprenticeships. In its most basic form is probably mimicking aside from writing an email. Those two although began with mimicking my mother have been influenced by so many because I’ve had the privilege of knowing so many who have a greater understanding of the English language and use it beautifully and I’ve also come into my own as a writer and speaker

The purpose of peer talk I’ve found is mostly to comfort, inform, and motivate (majority of the time in that order)

I may not have that many conversations throughout the day depending on the setting. It is difficult to differentiate between the small amount of data I do have. Most of the conversations I had outside my own head were brief, polite, and superficial.

“Good Morning”

“Enjoy your weekend”

“Take care”

You get the idea…

 

I tracked my language based on location. My Saturday is far from lively, the majority of my conversations are with myself. I spend a lot of my time planning, weighing options, and actively learning. Active learning requires me to problem solve and repeatedly explain material to myself to gain a better understanding.

Day 1:

Library (10AM-4PM): Pleasent greeting to librarians/Emails related to internship opportunities/ Internal conversations related to schoolwork or important task

Home Study (4PM-9PM): Greet Mom and Dad/Internal conversations about biology and math work

Home Eating (9PM-10PM): Nothing

Home Study (10PM-2AM): Internal conversations about digital marketing campaign

Day 2:

Before School (8AM-10AM): Internally go over goals for day and tasks that I need to complete/Prepare self for extended periods of focus

Math (10AM-11:45): Internal dialog about problems in an, attempted to connect concepts

Science (12AM-1:15PM): Identical to Math Language, but related to Science

Library (1:30PM-3PM) Pleasent greeting to librarians/Emails related to internship opportunities/ Internal conversations related to schoolwork or important task

Meetings (3:30PM-5PM): Speak to creatives and help them in project development

Model Networking (8PM-9:30PM): Speak to photographers editors and “in crowd” at an event on behalf of talent (confident, switch between interested an uninterested. (internal conversations too)

Home Study (10:30PM-1AM): Internal conversations about biology/ math/writing II

 

 

 

Citation

Gee, James P.”Literacy, Discourse, and Linguistics: Introduction.” Journal of Education 171.1 (1989): 5-17. Print.

Summary

Gee says that discourse can be seen from two different perspectives. One perspective sees language as grammar and sentence structure, the other believes language is dependent on the context. Gee sees discourses as both. Both the reader and the writer bring identity to the conversation.

Analysis

I thought this reading was extremely interesting. I know from experience that learning is extremely context specific. I also agree that discourse is an “identity kit,” that allows us to create ourselves. I know I try to “find” myself when I’m reading a difficult text. Finding relationships between words and experience help me understand and retain information.

I am Articulate

Summary

Scotts Poem takes a deeper look at what it means to be articulate. We generally view artic through a very narrow lens. Someone who is articulate has an extensive vocabulary to complement their knowledge of grammar. People with this gift have the ability to engineer “smart” sentences. Scott has three different way of speaking all of which she views equally. A persons ability to speak well so be dependent on context. She even points out “That’s the rules of THIS. A persons ability to speak well so be dependent on context. She even points out “That’s the rules of THIS English.”

Scott goes on to show how language is used to put down people of color. Blacks who aren’t able to speak “School language” may be seen as uneducated. Terms like “broken English” Unable to fully adapt to the linguistic standard place upon them by their former captor and viewed as less as a result of this only adds to the ideology that black

Analysis

Terms like “broken English” Unable to fully adapt to the linguistic standard place upon them by their former captor and viewed as less as a result of this only adds to the ideology that black isn’t good. The hair was a good comparison.

One’s success in language is based on their ability to effectively communicate to reach the desired result. Someone is articulate when they have an extensive knowledge of the vocabulary and grammar that’s used based on a specific social system.

Citation

Lowi, R. Q. (2005). Codeswitching: An Examination of Naturally Occurring Conversation. In ISB4: Proceedings of the 4th International Symposium on Bilingualism (pp. 1393-1406). Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press.

Summary

Lowi’s code switch experiment looked at conversations between bilingual speakers to examine the significance of switching between new and native tongue in communication. Code-switching true purpose is to establish a sense of trust and community between those who have moved from the countries they were born in a foreign land that although familiar may not feel like home.

Analysis

Code-switching is effective at doing what its suppose to, creating a sense of familiarity that comforting for two people who share a background and share the experience of living outside the world they were born in.

Citation

Swales, J.S. (1990) The Concept of Discourse Community, Genre Analysis: English in Academic and Research Settings, 468-479.

Summary

Swales goal in writing this essay was to develop a more ridge definition for discourse community than a group of people who share the same values. Swales believes linguistic understand the “nature” of what it means to be a discourse community an accept it as the definition. Swales believes the current definitions for discourse community are far too ambiguous for study; he provides six criteria that are both necessary and sufficient for defining a discourses community.

1. a broadly agreed set of public goals
2. mechanisms of intercommunication between members
3. participatory mechanisms primarily to provide information and feedback
4. utilizes one or more genres in communicative furtherance of its aims
5. acquisitions of specific lexis
6. a ratio between experts and new members

Analysis

I definitely recognize some of the elements Swales suggests within the context of group dynamics in my own life. My group of friends definitely have specific words or phrases that only we understand (mostly made up by me). I wish he would have expanded on the idea of commonality of goal vs shared interest. What I found most interesting was the Cafe Owner Problem. A, B, C would form a discourse community if they interacted, however without this interaction she cannot be considered a “community.” This makes me wonder if those who prefer solitude are a group are considered a “group” themselves. Savants, people who demonstrate mental and cognitive abilities far past what is considered normal have many things in common aside from smart. Most prefer to work alone.

What is Academic writing? There are many different writing styles and purposes for writing in the world of academic literature, usually contingent upon one another. However, there are several key elements all academic work should possess. Academic writing is generally classified was written work targeted at a very specific audience, with an assumed based on knowledge on the topics that will be discussed. Good academic writing proves an argument through reason and rational, making as few assumptions as possible. The author should demonstrate a well-rounded understanding of the argument on all fronts and build upon pre-existing knowledge through the use of credible sources or a substantial amount of tested personal research and analysis. Academic literature should also show an awareness of views opposite its own and be researched well enough to constantly support its claim against the opposition.

Irvin notes that in regard to the “academic writing situation” in college, writers must remember to write with a purpose in order for the piece to achieve its goal.

 Although he may be best known for being Warren Buffett’s mentor, Ben Graham was also an extremely capable investor who was very successful during his money management career. Known as “The Father of Value Investing”, Graham was also a professor at Columbia University when he authored The Intelligent Investor as a guide for those who traded securities and wanted in increase their return on investment.

The Jewish Studies department at The City College of New York offers a class entitled “Jesus the Jew.” During my Fall 2016 semester at CCNY, I was assigned a paper on the Jewishness of Jesus. The purpose of my essay was to convince the reader that based on information gathered from historical accounts of Jesus’s life it can be said that “Jesus practiced and taught what he believed to be the proper version of Judaism. He had his own idea of how to remain faithful while retaining traditional Jewish values.” (Williams)

Irvin stresses the importance of knowing your audience and list the understanding of key disciplinary concepts (strategies for synthesizing, analyzing, and responding critically to new information) related to a said audience as elements that should be present in college-level writing. “An analysis breaks a subject apart to study it closely, and form this inspection, ideas for writing emerge. When writing assignments call on you to analyze, they require you to identify the parts of the subject…then show how their parts fit…to create some larger effect of meaning.” (Irvin, 11)

The Intelligent Investor is for those who have already been introduced to the world of economics and finance. If you’re reading the Intelligent Investor it is assumed you are already familiar with the world of investing. A casual reader would quickly find themselves overwhelmed by financial terms, investment principles, and economic concepts (fair outside of common knowledge) mentioned that Graham expects the reader to be familiar with if they’ve picked up his book. Graham like many other academic writers knows his audiences. He writes for a small group of knowledgeable individuals that already have an understanding of the concepts related to his field.

My essay was written for one person, my professor. In order to fully grasp what was discussed, you have to have a basic understanding of Judaism, as well as the other Islamic religions (Islam and Christianity) from an academic perspective. Why? Simple…because my essay had to demonstrate a deeper knowledge of my topic in order to get an A. My essay showcased my knowledge of the covenant and the relationship Jewish people had with it during the time Jesus would have practiced Judaism. I also displayed an understanding of Jesus relationship with the covenant and was able to connect the two to gain an understanding of Jesus’s relationship with the Jewish people/faith.

“Academic prose is…written by one disinterested mind for other equally disinterested minds. But, because it’s intended for a very small audience of hyper-knowledgeable, mutually acquainted specialists” (Rothman, 3) Both my essay Graham book are both examples of extremely focused text that require background knowledge in order to fully understand…

Irvin pulls from an experiment conducted by Chris Thaiss and Terry Zawacki at George Maison University. The study on academic writing standards gathered information from numerous professors and stated one of the most important pillars of academic writing is “the dominance of reason over emotions or sensual perception. (5)” (Irvin, 13)

“An investment operation is one which, upon thorough analysis, promises safety of principal and an adequate return. Operations not meeting this requirement are speculation.” (Graham, 34) Graham’s ideas are founded on thorough financial evaluations of a company’s books. His work is famous among investors, being one of the first investors to SOLEY use financial analysis to successfully invest in the market.

In addition to developing strategies based on carefully assessing the value of companies with a tried process, Graham also developed several mathematical formulas to help investors calculated the value of a stock based on various market shifter, which he explains in the Intelligent Investor.

I began my essay by pointing out early Judaism was focused around the covenant. The covenant can be used as a valid baseline for distinguishing the life of Jewish people. Common practices of Judaism had a strong influence on how Jesus lived his life. During the time he was alive it is unlikely that he wouldn’t have been unaffected by the idea of covenant practice, being that it was the dominant ideology for Jews of the time. Tom Holmen’s article Jesus, Judaism, and the Covenant aims to highlight Jesus and his Jewishness through his relationship with the covenant and covenant path searching. Path searching is the process of trying to figure out the best way to live in obedience to the covenant. Jews focused on specific practices in accordance with the covenant. Through covenant path searching Jews discovered how to be faithful an adjusted their lives accordingly.

Both Graham and I support our arguments with reason and rational. Graham backed his ideas with personal research, in the form of years of experience, observation, and implantation during his financial career. Graham consistently saw returns during his money management career by applying these methods, proving they’ve been tested and consistently yield a consistent result. My essay cited serval sources all of which were approved by my professor before and listed in a bibliography at the end of my paper. I also used historical context and a background knowledge of ancient Jewish law to strengthen my argument.

 

Bibliography

Rothman, Joshua. “Why Is Academic Writing So Academic?” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 18 June 2017, www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/why-is-academic-writing-so-academic.

Irvin, Lennie L. “What is ‘Academic’ Writing?”. Writing Spaces: Readings on Writing. 1st ed. 2004. 3-17. Web.

I recently found out calling a woman a “female” is offensive. I had no idea I was offending half the population by calling someone what they are considered biologically. One of my friends had to explain to me that female has a negative connotation attached to it. She said, “…you would never call one of your guy friends a male, so why is it different for us…” I thought about it and realized she might be right. I still believe context matter a lot concerning an issue involving language. I’ve come to realize often times people don’t even realize they’re stereotyping or offending a group, they just don’t know.

Talking to new people and sharing my ideas actually helped me a lot. I was able to focus my ideas. I gained a lot from listening to other people and by helping them come up with ideas I was able to form some for my project as well.